Hoppy Easter

When we moved back to Texas I was excited to find a more kid-friendly neighborhood.   I wanted a neighborhood with sidewalks, parks, and schools within walking distance.  It was a tall order for our friend and realtor, Holly Roberts. Not only did I know what neighborhood I wanted,  I also wanted to live in a cul-de-sac, have a backyard with an existing playground, and a house with plenty of room.  I was thrilled when we found what is now our home because it met all on my wish-list.  Our neighborhood has enough monthly activities to keep us busy every weekend. The kids were excited when I told them we were going to our first neighborhood Easter egg hunt.  We were all Norman Rockwall walking to the park leaving the car parked in the garage, gathering with many other families as our kids excitedly ran about gathering eggs. 

 I have enjoyed the new start we've created for our family in Fort Worth Part II.   We have our home, our family, our friends, and most importantly each other.

Even one-handed Harrison was able to round up quite a few eggs.

Cannon plucked one egg into his bucket.  Just one. 

One was enough to entertain this little guy.

My kids are so lucky, they receive Easter goodies from Grammy's, Godmother's, G-Jo's, Grandad (not only chocolate, but also a huge Easter ham for all of us!), Easter Bunny, and even a special handmade bag from Great-Grandma Pitsenbarger.  Even Steve and I receive a bag!  This is the same bag, down to the same hand-drawn smiling bunny I've been getting for as long as I can remember!  I think my passion for tradition has been passed to me, in part, from my Grandma.  Every year, for her six children, grandchildren (and their spouses!) and now great-grandchildren she cuts each bag, draws a bunny face, fills it will goodies and passes them out.  What dedication and determination to keep the tradition going.  Thank you, Grandma! 

My chocolate-faced Cannon snuggling his Easter bunny!   

A basket complete with Bane from Batman was befitting only for Gavin.

Harrison got the 'Action Bible' for Easter.  It's Bible stories told in a comic book format.  Turns out the Bible is filled with quite graphic, violent stories.  Put some creative pictures to the stories and you've got a seven year old hooked!  The other day I overheard Harrison telling Gavin he was, "like Cain in the Bible.  Do you know who Cain is, Gavin?  You're not pleasing God with your choices right now." Ummmm......Cain was a murderer.  I don't thnk that's on par with taking your video game controller.  Oh, the drama! 

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Grammy's Double Date

I remember the first time I saw a Broadway play.  I was fifteen years old and I was invited to tag along with my friend, Kristen, and her parents to watch Miss Saigon.  I felt very hoity-toity or booshee as I like to call it.  Booshee is fun, these days I like to feel booshee as often as possible.  So when Grammy called and said she wanted to take Harrison and Gavin on a "date" to see Mary Poppins, I vicariously lived through them and enthusiastically said "I'd, I mean, they'd love it!"

Gavin was excited to get dressed up, even spraying a little bit of Dad's cologne!  Harrison took a little more work--he'd wear a potato sack and be just fine.

 Thanks, Grammy, for showing my boys a little culture.  They might turn out alright just yet!

 

It Was 'Bout Time

I held out on cutting Cannon's hair in hopes that it would curl like Gavin's. I really didn't get my fill of Gavin's curls before his hair became straight.  But, sigh, I finally resolved the hair wasn't going to get curly and his straight hair with a sharp widow's peak made him look schlepy.  It was time.

I didn't know how Cannon would behave, seeing as how he's.....sometimes not nice.  He was so fascinated with the process he sat perfectly still.  Didn't make a peep! 

The Mohawk is so befitting Cannon's personality.  The "don't mess with me" look gives fair warning to those he meets. 

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Name Those Bones And The Bruiser Who Owns Them

I sent a text to my family with this x-ray attached.  Asking them to name the visibly broken bones and the child whose arm this belongs. 

This is kinda like second verse same as the first. If you can remember this...it wasn't that long ago.

I'm still not exactly sure what happened.  Somehow the monkey bars during recess were involved although Harrison is quick to point out that "first graders aren't allowed on the monkey bars, so I wasn't on them....just around them."  Right. 

I'm not sure if times have changed or rather that I grew up with military health insurance, but the lengths hospitals go through to make sure children feel no pain is a stark contrast from my childhood.  I, too, broke my arm like Harrison.  I, too, needed to have my bones manipulated back into place.  I, too, received morphine and other sedatives to make sure I was comfortable. Ah, that's where our stories take a different path.  No, not even a little Tylenol did I get before my arm was extended and stretched back into place.  I was coherent and present for the shock and pain of it all.  Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the efforts to ease pain for children.  But, if the process continues to be a somewhat pleasant one filled with morphine highs and Popsicles what will be the driving force into being more careful?  My boys are crazy, do crazy things, and think nothing of physical consequences.  I never, ever wanted to break another bone after my experience.  Ask Harrison?    "Ah, it isn't so bad."  Sadly, I know this isn't our last trip to the hospital with emergencies and broken bones.  Instead of a vacation fund I need a Bruiser fund!

 I love this video of Harrison post-anesthesia.  Even drugged Harrison knows what he likes!

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Spring Break Camping

While most of the time I can fully embrace the noise and chaos that encompasses being a 'boy mom,' there are some lines I won't cross.  Camping would be one of them.  The dirt, discomfort, and overall 'ew' of having to pee like a dog does not, and will not ever, appeal to me.  I appreciate too much all my ancestors have done to build walls, roofs, beds, and bathrooms to go acting all 'I-don't-need-your-modern-conveniences.' 

I do, however, recognize that I am the mother to three boys and I do think they should have some camping type experiences in their childhood memories.  Yogi Bear Rustic Creek Ranch seemed to fit the bill perfectly.  Add to that some friends with even more boys and we had what seemed to be the perfect "boy" spring break.

 Our cottage had this, plus a set of bunkbeds.  Like I said, glamor camping or 'glamping' as we called it.  We could spend all the time we wanted outdoors getting sweaty and smelly, but before we climbed into that super-comfortable bed we could shower and turn down the air conditioner to a cool 64.  Oh, and not miss morning cartoons on the flat screen t.v.  We could feel even more rustic with a flip of the switch and have a roaring gas fire in the fireplace. 

We did cook all of our meals outside. I know, how rustic, right?!

 Each family took a night making dinner for everyone.  We had hamburgers, ribs, grilled chicken, and even a catfish fry.

Harrison and his studious self reading the Magic Tree House books he received for Christmas.  I captured this picture just in time, because a few minutes later that lovely swing turned into a 6-Flags type ride with three boys on the swing and two more behind pushing with all their might!

Evan says, eating is a lot more fun when your food looks back at ya'!

I have almost as much fun planning trips as I do living them.  More often then not the reality can be a let-down because it hasn't gone as I had hoped or plans have fallen through.  This vacation, however,  turned out just as I imagined.  I wanted to chill-out, relax with good friends while the kids played outside sans any electronics!  The weather, food, and company was perfect!

Riding in the back of the truck on their way to play laser tag.  

Gavin and Steve played a stimulating game of "who can blink first"  You get creative when you don't have electronics to distract you!

I really looked forward to the nightly fires.  Probably because it meant I was one-step closer to getting to make s'mores!  Turns out it takes a steady, quick hand to get that marshmallow toasted and not burned. 

I think most everyone had the most fun playing hide-and-go-seek-tag in the dark.  Take some post college athletes mixed in with some teenagers,  top it off with a deep competitive flair and it makes for some exciting games!  I knew I was in over my head when Jason (pictured in the orange shirt) was "it" and cleared the fire pit in a hurdle-style jump to tag someone out.  By the third night the kids were just warmed up and wanted more but most of the adults were feeling the consequences and repercussions of running for your life to get to home base!

Alissa and I were the only ones who had made poor-mans donuts as a kid.  We decided it would be a shame for our kids to grow-up without knowing the deliciousness of fried dough.  The recipe goes like this:

Buy the cheapest store brand biscuits.  Don't try and get fancy like Steve and think Grands will taste better.  Go cheap or just go through a Dunkin' drive-thru. 

Take a water bottle cap to push out holes--creating the typical 'donut' shape.  You can either eat the holes raw (Alissa's favorite) or add them to the oil and have actual donut holes.

Add your dough to the hot oil (in our case this was propane heated oil, but a small pot on the stove is how it's traditionally done) Cook for a few minutes.  Cool on a paper towel and sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Now, if you're really feeling fancy-schmancy you can add a little milk to the powdered sugar and make a glaze.  Doing much beyond that is just showing off--killing the 'poor man' experience. 

We ate donuts until we were sick.  It was great!  The experience has stuck with my kids, Harrison wrote about it at school and Gavin still says, " 'member those donuts at camping?  Dey were good!"

Although no fish took our bait, it was peaceful watching the boys. 

Our cabin  was so roomy G-Jo was even able to join us one night.  With G-Jo always comes games to play.  The kids played "who-can-get-the-first-onion-ring-to-hook-onto-a-tree," soda can stacking, Fruit Loop toothpick carry, and pass the ball using no hands. 

We weren't short entertainment, with eight boys there was always something going on.  Garrett had us all laughing with his "happy dance!"